The Missing
by eternalsailorsolarwind
Summary: Dark fic. Daisuke has abusive parents. Then they find out about Ken. Warnings for child abuse, rape and incest. I hate summaries. KensukeDaiken
1. Gone

The Missing  
Chapter 1 - Gone  
By: eternalsailorsolarwind  
  
  
Disclaimer: Nope, still not mine. But I'll let you know when they are. ^_^  
  
  
A/N: Takes place after the end of 02, and beyond the Diaboromon Returns movie. I have not seen that movie yet. Not everyone in the world got a Digimon as stated in episode 50. Only Digidestined have Digimon. However, the families of the Digidestined are aware of the Digimon. This fic is =very= dark. Be aware that there is going to be lots of angst in this fic. Kensuke/Daiken. Warnings for shounen ai content, child abuse, and stated/implied rape. Also, there is no Jun bashing in this fic.  
  
  
"What do you mean 'is he at my place'?" Ken asked, his voice rising sharply.  
  
Jun Motomiya actually cringed, taking a step back from her brother's boyfriend. "I-I assumed he'd go over to your house. That's where he always is."  
  
"What's going on?" asked Takeru, coming up on the two. He and the other   
Digidestined had heard Ken's question and had come over to find out what was wrong.  
  
Hikari hissed as she looked at her friend's sister. "Jun, is that a bruise?"  
  
Jun's hand flew to her cheek automatically, even as she denied it. "No, it isn't. It's just a.... Why am I doing this? Yes, it is a bruise."  
  
The Digidestined stared at the half-hidden mark on her cheek. It had been   
covered in make up, but most of the powder was gone now, showing the bruise. "What happened?"  
  
Jun lowered her eyes, "It's not important. Look, does anyone know where   
Daisuke is?"  
  
Takeru, Hikari, Miyako, and Iori all shook their heads. Iori spoke up, "We were going to ask you. He wasn't in school today."  
  
Ken's head whipped around to stare at his friends. "Wasn't in school? But I'm supposed to meet him there today."  
  
Jun made a noise that sounded a lot like a squeak. "Oh God, oh God, oh God. Please tell me this isn't happening."  
  
Ken was now frantic, "Jun, what in the =Hell= is going on? Where is Daisuke?"  
  
"I think...no, I'm sure. He's run away."  
  
All of the kids looked at her in shock. "Why would he run away?" Iori asked.  
  
Jun looked sad and forlorn. Even her normally crazy hair seemed to be drooping. "Because there's nothing at home for him, not anymore."  
  
Ken reached out and grabbed her arm. She made a small sound of pain, and he released her, looking guilty. "I'm sorry, Jun. But what are you talking about? Why is there nothing at home for him?"  
  
Jun pointed to the bruise on her face, and then rolled up the sleeve on the arm that Ken had grabbed. All of the Digidestined gasped at the clear imprints of fingers. "Our parents they, well...."  
  
"They're abusing you!" Takeru said, his voice ringing with anger. He stood next to Iori, growling the words from between clenched teeth, as he clenched and unclenched his fists.  
  
"I guess you could call it that. To me and Daisuke, its always just been a part of life," Jun replied, shrugging. She rolled her sleeve back down.   
  
"How can you say that? Your parents beat you, and all you can say is it's just a part of life?" Iori asked, his voice half-angry and half-confused.  
  
Jun smiled sadly at the youngest of her brother's friends. "Because it =is=, Iori. We've both lived with it our whole lives. And up until now, I figured we'd both live with it until we moved out."  
  
"What's happened now?" Ken asked, fear starting to lace his voice. "Why did Dai-chan run away?"  
  
Jun sighed, "Our mother found his drawings of you, Ken."  
  
He sucked in his breath. "So? There wasn't anything exciting about those   
drawings. They're just portraits."  
  
"I know. I saw them, they're really good," agreed Jun. "But something about them set her off. She searched his room, and found some attempts at poetry."  
  
Everyone looked at Ken, who blushed bright red. "I-I didn't know he'd written any."  
  
"Well, he did. And they told my mother that he loves you," she looked away. "I don't know if Daisuke ever told you, but our parents are homophobic. Extremely homophobic."  
  
The look in Ken's eyes could only be described as pure misery. "No," he   
whispered. "He never said that."  
  
"He didn't care. He said that to me that when I told him what our parents might do if they ever found out," she started to cry. "But he just said that he loved you too much to worry about it. Everything would work out in the end. But he was wrong!"  
  
Jun was sobbing now, her face in her hands. The Digidestined looked at each other, not really knowing what to do. Hikari finally led Jun over to a nearby park bench. The others followed, like lost sheep. After a few minutes of hard crying, Jun started to calm down.  
  
"You have to find him. I don't think our parents will try," Jun said, her voice unsteady. "They probably haven't even noticed he's gone yet. I didn't until I got home and found his note."  
  
Ken swayed a little on his feet. "How long do you think he's been gone, Jun?"  
  
She thought about it for a second. "Probably since the middle of the night. He was hurt too badly by what Dad did to stay any longer."  
  
"What did he do?" asked Miyako, her voice tight. She sounded like she was out for blood.  
  
Jun waved the question away. "Please, find him. I don't know where he might go."  
  
Takeru pulled out his D-3. A signal popped up immediately. He was still in Odaiba, probably wandering aimlessly. "It shouldn't be too hard to find him."  
  
Hikari nodded, taking out her D-terminal. "I'll call the others. The ten of us should be able to find him before sundown."  
  
"Have them meet us at your school, Hikari," Ken ordered. In Daisuke's absence, he seemed to be giving the orders. "It's probably the best place to start from."  
  
"Okay," she replied. And after a few minutes, she received the replies. "They'll meet us there. Let's go!"  
  
"I'll catch up with you guys," Ken said. "I want to ask Jun a couple of   
questions."  
  
The other four Digidestined nodded and ran back towards their school. Ken   
turned to Jun. "Did he have Chibimon with him?"  
  
She nodded, "Yeah. I don't think he goes anywhere without him."   
  
"That's good. Chibimon will take care of him until we find him," Ken said, relieved. "What are you going to do?"  
  
"Go home. Try to talk my parents into looking for him. Not that I think that they will," she replied sadly.  
  
Ken nodded silently, and turned to go. Jun grabbed his arm. "You need to   
know...I didn't want to say anything with the rest of them around...."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Daisuke didn't leave because our father hit him, Ken," Jun's voice dropped to a low whisper. She turned away from him. Ken had to strain to hear her. "He probably won't tell you, but if you don't know he may never be able to get over it."  
  
Ken felt an icy knot of fear in his stomach. "What? What did your father do to him?"  
  
Jun looked back at him, her eyes full of tears. "He...he raped him."  
  
  
To be continued....  



	2. Ken

The Missing  
Chapter 2 - Ken  
By: eternalsailorsolarwind  
  
  
Disclaimer: Nope, sorry. Talk to the lawyers for Fox, Saban, and Toei. I just write fanfics.  
  
A/N: This is probably the darkest fic I've ever written. I'm not sure how long this is going to be yet, but this may take awhile. Still Daiken/Kensuke. All of the warnings from Chapter 1 still apply. There's a change of perspective in this chapter. It will be from Ken's POV.  
  
  
I fell to my knees, shocked by Jun's revelation. How? How could this have happened to Daiuske? Why did this have to happen?  
  
"You're lying," I accused his sister. It couldn't possibly be true. "Please tell me it's a lie. Or a nightmare."  
  
"I wish it was, Ken. Believe me, I wish my whole life was just a nightmare."  
  
I looked up, seeing her misery and fear. I felt like I was being reflected in her face. "You have to tell me what you know."  
  
"I don't know much. After Mom found the portraits and poems, she came after me. She wanted to find out what she could about you and your relationship with Daisuke," she turned away again, this time in shame. "I tried to protect you two, but she grabbed me and hit me."  
  
The bruises on her face and arms were from their mother? How could a mother do that to her own child?  
  
"I gave in after she punched me in the stomach. Then she locked me in my room. After Dad came home, she told him what she'd found out," Jun spoke mechanically, just giving the facts. But every once in a while I could hear a quaver in her voice. "He went ballistic. He came in and asked me if it was true. I told him it was."  
  
She turned back towards me, her voice and eyes flat. "I've never, ever, seen him so angry."  
  
I got up off my knees and sat next to her. "Go on. I know it's hard, but I need to know."  
  
"There isn't much more. They waited for him to come home from soccer   
practice. Then they all started to argue. When Daisuke admitted that he was gay and that he loved you, well, that was it. Dad blew his stack, and demanded that Daisuke be straight. Dai laughed in his face, and said that you were the best thing that ever happened to him."  
  
I felt tears well up in my eyes. I was the best thing that happened to him? What would I be without him? Would I even still be alive? I was wild to go after him. Find him, hold him, and heal him. Tell him it will be all right. But there was still more that I needed to know if I was going to be able to help him.  
  
"My father shouted something and took him into Dai's bedroom. After a few   
minutes, I heard Daisuke scream. Both Chibimon and I tried to get to him, but my mother slapped me down, and managed to knock Chibimon out," Jun was crying again, and so was I. If Minomon ever found out about Chibimon being hurt, I wouldn't have to hurt Daisuke's parents. Stingmon, or maybe even Paildramon would take care of it.  
  
Jun and I both cried for a couple of minutes, and then she started to continue. I could only listen, feeling totally numb.  
  
"I didn't realize what happened until this afternoon. I had heard Daisuke   
screaming for a while, but then it ended. Once it was over, I thought that Dad had just beaten him badly. He was gone in the morning. I figured he just left early so he wouldn't have to look at our parents. But when I got home, I found his note." Jun rummaged in her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.  
  
She handed it to me and I read it, my hands shaking.  
  
  
"Dear Jun,  
  
I know you'll be the one to find this. Our parents don't give a damn about me. I can't stay here anymore. I knew Dad would be angry, but I never thought he'd hurt me like this. He raped me. If you don't believe me, check out the sheets. My blood and his semen are on them. If I stay he'll just keep doing it to me until he thinks I'm straight.  
  
I need you to say goodbye to Ken for me. I'm broken now, and he doesn't   
deserve damaged goods. I always knew I didn't deserve him, and Dad proved that I was right. So I'm going to leave, and try to forget. I've got Chibimon, so I'll be fine.  
  
Daisuke"  
  
  
How can he say he doesn't deserve me? After all the things I did...stop it. That's in the past, just like Daisuke is always saying. If I stay rooted in the past, I won't be able to help my Dai-chan. I folded up the note and put it in my pocket. "Did you check the sheets?"  
  
"Yes. They were like Dai said," she said.  
  
"You haven't washed them?" She shook her head. "Good. Hide them. I'm not going to let your father get away with this. The police will need those sheets as evidence."  
  
Jun looked startled, then wary. "You're going to have him arrested? He'd kill you first."  
  
I was actually amused. "He'd try. He hurt my Dai-chan. I'm not very forgiving about that kind of thing." I was angry right now, very angry. But not with Jun.  
  
"Go home," I said gently. "Hide those sheets and protect yourself. We'll find Daisuke and take care of that bastard that calls himself your father."  
  
She nodded slowly and then left. I watched her go. She walked carefully, like something inside her was broken. I knew that feeling. I'd felt it twice before; once when Osamu died, and then again when Wormmon had.   
  
Now my pain was different. Daisuke was still alive, thank God. Now I felt guilty because I never saw that he was being abused. Oh, I saw the bruises. But he said that they were from soccer. I could understand that, since I've had a few of those kind of bruises myself. It never occurred to me that it could be something else. And I felt so damn guilty about it!  
  
I got up off the bench, and started towards Odaiba Elementary. I walked slowly, letting the guilt weigh me down. As I got to the front gate, I shook myself once. Stop it, I told myself silently. Acting like this won't find Daisuke or solve his other problems. I have to be strong for him.  
  
All the others were there, even Jyou. They were waiting for me. Takeru was finishing filling in the elder Digidestined on what he knew. Which wasn't the half of it. They didn't know the whole story yet. But I wouldn't be the one to tell them, not right now at least. I closed my eyes in pain, and sighed, trying to release it all. Just so I could focus on finding Daisuke.  
  
When I opened my eyes again, it was the like the air had changed. It was now so heavily charged with rage it was hard to breathe. All nine of the Digidestined in front of me had faces that looked like thunderclouds. Taichi looked like he wanted to pound someone, and I could guess who was at the top of his list. They were at the top of mine too, and I'm not that big on fighting - unless its to save the world. Or my Daisuke.  
  
"So, how should we do this?" Taichi asked the group in general. Usually, if Daisuke wasn't around, we all deferred to him. It's not going to happen that way today.  
  
Taking a step forward, I said, "I think we should split into five teams of two. That way if he's hurt...." I left the rest unsaid.  
  
Taichi nodded, "Good idea, Ken. Pick your partners and spread out. Keep in contact with the D-terminals."  
  
I split off with Sora, and we headed towards the north. The general plan was for all five groups to ring him in. I didn't like thinking of my Dai-chan as a wild animal, but at the moment, it was probably the best we could do. With everything that's happened, he'd probably run from us. Even me. Maybe especially me, all things considered.  
  
"We'll find him, Ken," Sora said, resting a gentle hand on my shoulder.  
  
"I know we will, Sora," I replied through my teeth. All of my anger, fear, guilt, and pain was turning into lead knots in my belly. The Motomiya's are going to pay for hurting Daisuke. "I just hope he's ready to =be= found."  
  
  
To be continued....  



	3. Daisuke

The Missing  
Chapter 3 - Daisuke  
By: eternalsailorsolarwind  
  
  
Disclaimer: Still owned by Fox, Saban, et al. I just write fanfics with the characters.  
  
  
A/N: Still dark, and this chapter will be especially dark. All of the warnings are still in effect from Chapter 1. The POV has changed again, to Daisuke. If you have trouble with yaoi, child abuse, incest, and implied/stated rape, please do not continue reading.  
  
  
* * indicates remembered conversations  
  
My feet hurt. Actually, my whole body was one big, gigantic ache. I had been walking for hours, not because I thought it would help my hurt body, but because I was afraid to try and sit down. I glared at yet another person staring at my bruised face. What, they thought I =didn't= know it looked like I was used as a punching bag?  
  
My backpack started to jiggle on my back, and I looked over my shoulder.   
Chibimon nosed his head out and looked at me. "Daiuske, I'm hungry." My poor   
Digimon sounded pathetic instead of the ball of fire that he usually was. Not that I could blame him.  
  
After..after, I found him lying on the floor of the kitchen. Out cold. Turns out my mother knocked him out before he could try to save me. Now he had a big, ugly, purple bump on his head. It clashed with his blue and white fur something awful. "Okay, buddy. There's a store up the road. I'll get you something there."  
  
He nodded slowly, like it hurt his head. It probably did. I had tried to help him as much as I could, but what did I know about Digimon medicine? Chibimon got back down in the backpack. I sighed. My life was seriously messed up.  
  
After buying both of us some food, I turned into an alley. It would be easier for Chibimon to eat without being seen. He got out of my backpack and ate his food, including his usual chocolate bar. We ate in silence, me standing up. I was still afraid to sit down. That's a laugh isn't it? Me, the holder of the Digimental of Courage was scared to do something as simple as sitting down.  
  
Chibimon finished eating, and leaned against my leg, looking up at me with sad eyes. He looked a little better, definitely more awake. "Daisuke, sit down. You need to rest."  
  
I shook my head. "I'm fine, Chibimon. I don't want to sit down."  
  
"Please Daisuke," he pleaded, his eyes huge and watery. He's too kawaii for his own good. And he knows it. "For me?"  
  
I sighed in defeat. "Okay Chibimon. But just for a few minutes."   
  
So I gingerly sat down. I knew it was a mistake even before all of my weight was on the ground. Pain shot straight through my insides, like tiny claws trying to dig their way out of me. I gasped and curled up into a little ball, trying to get the pain to go away. Hoping it would either go away or let me die.   
  
"Daisuke!" Chibimon cried out. "Daisuke, what's wrong?" He was panicking. He didn't know about what Dad did.  
  
I opened my eyes, which I hadn't remembered closing. He was terrified to see me like this. I had to show him I was okay. I just hoped I hadn't started bleeding again. That would really scare him. "It's all right, Chibimon. I'll be okay."  
  
"You're not okay! You're hurt! We should have gone to Ken's instead of   
walking all day, Daisuke! He would have fixed it!" Tears spilled from his eyes, and he hugged my arm.  
  
Ken. I wished I could see him. But now...I can't ever see him again. I'll have to tell Chibimon eventually, but not when he's like this. I slowly started to un-ball myself, stopping and resting every time I twinged. "He can't fix this, Chibimon," I told him. And then I whispered to myself, "And I don't think he'd want to even try."  
  
By now I was actually sitting up, more or less normally. I was panting though, and I felt strange inside. Chibimon looked sad, but anger was starting to take over. "What did your father do that could hurt you so much? And why did he do it?"  
  
I looked at him, wondering what I could tell him. I knew he wouldn't understand what rape is. He was still having problems with the way my parents disciplined me and Jun.  
  
* "This is what you want, right? Why are you screaming? You said you were   
gay, so this must be what you want." *  
  
I whimpered at my father's voice running through my head. Chibimon crawled into my lap, causing another wave of pain to shoot through me, and nuzzled me like Minomon rubbed up against Ken. "Let me help you, Daisuke!"  
  
I lifted the little Digimon into my arms and hugged him to my chest, one of the few places that didn't feel raw. I looked into his eyes, and he said, "Please, Daisuke?" And so I told him.   
  
He didn't understand the whole thing, but I knew he wouldn't. But I got my point across. Rape is bad, it hurts, and parents aren't supposed to do it to their children. He's torn between wanting to comfort me, and going to bite my father's head off. But I made him promise not to talk about it. I don't want to think about it. Ever.  
  
I managed to haul myself up from the ground. I knew if I sat there much longer I was going to have a problem getting back up. It's still hard, and I'm covered in sweat and shaking by the time I was standing up. Chibimon looked worried at my weakness, but I shrugged it off.  
  
"I'll be fine, Chibimon. It's just going to take a little while."  
  
I moved around a little, trying to get my stiffening muscles to work without too much pain. I motioned for Chibimon to get back in my backpack. It was time to go to the only place I knew I'd be safe. The Digital World.  
  
I told Chibimon that we were going to the school and use the computers.   
  
"But Daisuke, why don't we just go to Ken's? He'll make things right," said Chibimon.  
  
"No, Chibimon, he can't," I replied sadly. "It'll never be right again. Let's go."  
  
I heaved the backpack on, and turned back to the main street. I walked a few steps, and then heard a familiar voice shout, "Oi, Daisuke! Wait up!"  
  
I turned around and saw Miyako and Hikari coming towards me. I knew they   
would wonder why I hadn't been in class today, but I waited anyway. But once they got close, and I saw the worry on their faces, I realized they knew. So I bolted the other way. I heard them shout my name again, but just kept running.  
  
I stopped about a block away, in too much pain to continue. I leaned against a building, trying to catch my breath. The air felt like fire in my lungs, but I gulped it in anyway. I took another step and fell to my knees. I had nothing left.  
  
Still gasping for air, trying to get up, I heard several pairs of feet run up to me. Then I was swept up into a rough hug. One that hurt like Hell. I tried to gasp from the pain, but ended up choking on it instead. I knew who it was, how could I ever forget what Ken felt like? His breath was harsh in my ears, as he panted my name over and over again.  
  
"It's going to be okay, Daisuke. I'm going to make it better," Ken whispered in my ear, as he stroked the back of my head. "He's not going to hurt you ever again."  
  
And then I slumped against Ken and started to cry.  
  
  
To be continued....  



	4. Helpless

The Missing  
Chapter 4 - Helpless  
By: eternalsailorsolarwind  
  
  
Disclaimer: Nope, not mine.  
  
  
A/N: Still dark, and will be like that for some time to come. All warnings are still in effect. Back to Ken's POV. A little longer chapter this time.  
  
  
I held my Dai-chan through his storm of crying. Tightening my arms around him, I started to rock him, hoping the rhythm would calm him. It didn't. Every movement or word I said just made him cry harder. Why couldn't I help him? What was wrong with me?  
  
He eventually wound down, and looked out at all of us. None of us expected to see all the bruises and scrapes on his face. He looked like he'd gone ten rounds with a boxer. And lost. Gently, I reached out and touched his lips, which were slightly swollen. I got angry all over again. How could his father do this to him?  
  
Jyou wanted him to go to the hospital. He needed to be looked at by a doctor. But Daisuke wouldn't hear of it. In fact, the very mention of a doctor made him start to shake. He looked like a scared rabbit instead of the leader of the Digidestined. And I hated the change.  
  
"Daisuke, I'll take you to my apartment. We can decide what to do there," I said, trying to soothe him. "Is that okay with you?"  
  
He nodded, actually brightening a little. Maybe he thought that he'd be safe with my parents and me. It scared me to realize he was safer with my parents than his own. I fought back tears as I kissed his cheek. He didn't deserve this!  
  
"Okay, guys," I said. "I need to borrow enough money to get the two of us to Tamachi in a cab."  
  
Taichi opened his mouth to protest, but shut it when Yamato nudged him. A quick glance at Daisuke made him close his eyes. When he opened them again, there was pain and disbelief in them. It was mirrored in everyone's faces. Including, I knew, my own.   
  
Everyone forked over some money, and Jyou hailed a cab. I put Daisuke in it, and turned back to our friends. "I'll call you guys later. I want to get him home first." I would have said more, but at the word 'home', Daisuke squeaked and edged away. I got in the cab, and gave the driver my address. We drove away as I put my arms around Daisuke.  
  
"You're going home with me, Daisuke. You'll never have to go back there   
again," I told him. He calmed down, and buried his face in my shoulder. He wasn't exactly crying, but he was close. We just sat for a little while, me holding him close.  
  
"I'm sorry, Ken," he said quietly after a time. "I'm not worth all this trouble."  
  
Yes you are!" I hissed. "Your parents have no right to beat you or your sister!"  
  
"But they're only keeping us in line," he protested softly, not looking at me. "I'm not smart enough to do it myself."  
  
I felt my heart drop through my toes and bounce out of the cab. How could they tell him these things?  
  
"Yes, you are, Dai-chan!"  
  
"Don't call me that!" he said harshly, pushing me away. I blinked at him,   
surprised by his outburst. "I'm not good enough for you. I never was, I just didn't realize it until now."  
  
I opened my mouth to tell him that he was good enough for me, when Chibimon popped out of Daisuke's backpack. The ugly bump on his head made me gasp. I didn't think that he'd actually be hurt too. "Daisuke! Stop that!"  
  
We both stared wide-eyed at the little Digimon. He looked upset, and he wasn't going to take it anymore. "You =are= good enough for Ken. I don't care what your father said!"  
  
Daisuke smiled shakily at Chibimon, "Thanks, pal. How's your head?"  
  
"It's fine. Don't change the subject, Daisuke!"  
  
The cab stopped suddenly, and Daisuke grabbed Chibimon before he could fall to the floor. He hugged his partner close, and we got out of the cab. I paid the driver and we turned to my building. Chibimon looked up at Daisuke, his eyes pleading. "Please Daisuke, tell Ken."  
  
Daisuke shook his head, and Chibimon continued to beg him to tell me what was bothering him. I tugged on Daisuke's sleeve, and we walked into the building and up towards my apartment. Chibimon kept arguing with him, trying to talk him into telling me. I hoped that he could talk Daisuke into it. I already knew what was wrong, but I didn't want him to know that. I wanted him to tell me himself.  
  
"No!" Daisuke said to Chibimon finally. "It's not important!"  
  
I shook my head as we got to my door. I unlocked it, and we walked through. No one was home but Minomon, who came flying out to greet us.  
  
"You're home early, Ke...Chibimon! What happened to your head?"  
  
Chibimon leapt from Daisuke's arms and cuddled with Minomon. "Daisuke's   
mother hit me when I tried to stop his father from raping him. She can really...I'm sorry, Daisuke!"  
  
Daisuke let out a strangled sob, and tried to run out of the apartment. I barely managed to grab his arm before he flew out of the still-open door. I pulled him into a tight hug, using all my strength to keep him here. He struggled for a few seconds, and then gave up. Totally. We sank to the floor, my arms still around him.  
  
To my surprise, he didn't cry. He just hung limp in my arms, his breathing fast and harsh. Instead, I was the one crying. I felt the tears streaming down my cheeks. I pulled him close to my chest, pressing my forehead against the back of his head. "Oh, Daisuke. How could he have hurt you like that?"  
  
"I deserved it," he replied quietly, his voice strangled, trying not to cry again. "I didn't live up to their expectations."  
  
That brought me up short. "What?" What have his parents been doing to him?  
  
"That's what Dad said. It's my fault, because...because I love you. I'm not supposed to love a boy," his voice petered out, ending in a whisper.  
  
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Chibimon and Minomon were watching   
us. Chibimon was trying to explain what was going on to Minomon, who looked   
confused and shocked at the same time. "Let me digivolve, Ken. Stingmon will take care of them!"  
  
"No, Imperialdramon!" shouted Chibimon. He looked angry, and   
Imperialdramon would have cooled that anger. Maybe. I don't know if even   
Imperialdramon's fighter mode would help right now.  
  
Daisuke turned his head and smiled at the two Digimon. It was a very watery one, though. "Thanks, guys. I appreciate it."  
  
"We're going to fix this, Dai-chan. Somehow, we'll find a way to make it right."  
  
"Don't call...."  
  
"I still love you, Daisuke. This isn't going to change that," I told him. "And because I love you, I'm going to make sure that you get help."  
  
"But...why do you still love me?" he asked, sounding lost, scared, and lonely. Like a little boy. "I...I'm damaged. I'm broken."  
  
"You're hurt, Daisuke. You're not damaged. You're still the same boy I fell in love with," I said gently.   
  
He did start to cry then, turning around in my arms and sobbing hard into my shoulder. I held him tightly, stroking his hair, murmuring over and over again that I loved him. Chibimon and Minomon came over and pressed against him, offering what comfort they could.   
  
I felt totally helpless. All I could do was comfort him. I couldn't make the pain go away, I couldn't go back in time and stop the rape from even happening, and I felt incredibly guilty about that. So, I held him tighter, trying to alleviate my guilt that way.  
  
"What in the world?" my mother asked from the doorway. The door was still   
standing wide opened. "Ken? Daisuke? What's wrong?" I could hear the panic in her voice. She liked Daisuke, always had. That hadn't stopped when I came out to my parents.  
  
"Mom," I said, my voice shaking. "Daisuke's been hurt. Badly."  
  
She crossed the floor quickly and knelt next to us. "Tell me what's wrong, Daisuke. We'll call your parents...."  
  
"NO!" I cried. "You can't call his parents!"  
  
She looked flustered, but reached out and turned Daisuke's head towards her so she could see his face. She let out a little squeak when she saw the bruising and scrapes. "Daisuke, what happened? Why shouldn't I call your parents?"  
  
He trembled in my arms for a moment, looking up at her. I didn't think he was going to say anything, so I opened my mouth to tell her myself. But he beat me to it anyway.  
  
"You can't tell my parents because they already know. They did this to me," he rasped. "My parents abuse me and my sister."  
  
My mother looked like she was going to cry as he finished speaking. "Oh no, you poor boy. Why did they do this to you?"  
  
"Because of me," I said, closing my eyes in pain.  
  
"What?!?"  
  
"They beat me because they found out that I love Ken," Daisuke said sadly. "And then...and then my father raped me!"   
  
He looked like he was going to cry again any second, but he held out. His chest was heaving, but I could see the spark of courage in his eyes.   
My mother gasped.   
  
There was no doubt she believed Daisuke, not from the look   
on her face. And then she went into action.  
  
"Ken, put Daisuke and the Digimon on the couch. Make him comfortable, and then call your father," she ordered, looking grim. "When you're done, I'm calling the police. I'm not sending Daisuke back to that hell hole."  
  
  
To be continued....  



	5. Nightmare

The Missing  
Chapter 5 - Nightmare  
By: eternalsailorsolarwind  
  
  
Disclaimer: Still owned by Fox, Saban, and Toei. I just write fanfics.  
  
A/N: All warnings are still in effect. Extra rape warnings for this chapter. This will definitely be disturbing. Back to Daisuke's POV.  
  
It was quiet now, but this evening had been like a whirlwind. I was in a room by myself, with only Chibimon for company. Jun was next door, having been taken from our apartment earlier. I had thought she was going to be mad at me for telling, but she hugged me instead. It turns out she had told the other Digidestined about the abuse after I had run away. I was kind of glad about that. It meant I didn't have to hide it anymore.  
  
But she admitted that she also told Ken about what Dad did to me. I was ashamed of being raped, and by my own father. I never would have said anything to Ken if Chibimon hadn't accidentally let it slip once we got to Ken's. But I'm not mad at Chibimon or Ken. It's not their fault. I know they just don't want me hurt anymore.  
  
I cuddled my Digimon closer to me. Everyone thought he was just a stuffed   
animal, so I was able to bring him along. I need him a lot right now, because I'm lonely. I can't see Ken, or anyone else for a little while. Except for Jun, of course. We're both in protective custody, because of the all the abuse.  
  
It's still hard to think of it like that. For my entire life, I thought of it as discipline. Because I wasn't smart enough to take care of things myself. I knew something was wrong, because we weren't supposed to tell anyone that our parents hit us when we were bad, but I just thought it was an adult thing. And since I was always clumsy, and what with playing soccer, it was easy to explain the bruises away. In fact, I was proud of the fact that no one knew, that I was so good at hiding it.  
  
But that all changed once I became a Digidestined. I recognized that what the Kaizer was doing to the Digimon was a lot like what my parents were doing to my sister and me. But I still didn't break away from it. I finally had friends, real friends, and so things didn't seem so bad. And then Ken stopped being the Kaizer.  
  
He became the center of my life. First as a friend, and then as the boy I loved. I hated it if we didn't get to see each other every day. And he loved me, too. Life was perfect, at least in my mind.  
  
"Daisuke?" Chibimon asked. "Are you mad at me for telling Ken?"  
  
I shook my head, and sighed, "No, I'm not mad. I guess in the long run it's for the best."  
  
"Those doctors didn't hurt you, did they?" he asked me, looking sad.  
  
"No, not really," I told him. I had been poked, prodded, and examined. They had even looked at where Dad had...had hurt me the most. That was embarrassing. Then they fed me, and pumped me full of drugs. Between all of that, and being exhausted, I was barely able to keep my eyes open.  
  
"Go to sleep, Daisuke. I'll be right here with you."  
  
"I know, Chibimon. And thanks, for everything," I told him, scratching behind his ears. He purred a lot like a cat, which made me smile sleepily. I made myself comfortable, wincing at various aches and pains, and pulled the blanket up over me and Chibimon. Then I fell asleep.  
  
  
  
I walked in the door, laughing at something Chibimon said. I walked into the living room, and stopped dead. Both of my parents were sitting on the sofa, looking angry. I wondered what was going on. What had I done now?  
  
"What's up?" I asked.  
  
My mother showed me several pictures I had drawn of Ken. "Okay, you don't   
like them?" I was totally clueless. Then she handed me my attempts at writing poetry about Ken. I could feel the blood drain out of my face. Oh shit, I'm in trouble now.  
  
"I want an explanation, Daisuke. Right now," my Dad said, his voice tight with anger.  
  
I could lie, and say it was for school, but I didn't want to lie about Ken. He was worth a few punches and some grounding. "I wrote those about Ken because I love him. He's my boyfriend." I was proud of myself for telling them the truth.  
  
And then I rocked backwards on my feet from my mother's slap. It stung so   
much that my eyes teared up, but I swore to myself I wouldn't cry. "How dare you say that to us! You aren't a filthy homosexual! We raised you better than that!"  
  
I knew they didn't like gay people, but I didn't care. I =loved= Ken, and they'd just have to get use to it. I told them so. And then all hell broke loose. They started yelling louder and louder, and hitting me harder and harder.  
  
Chibimon had already been separated from me. He was watching all this in   
shock. He'd seen them hit me before, but not like this. I finally managed to pull away from them, panting from the pain.   
  
"What is wrong with you? I can't help it if I'm gay! You should at least be happy that I found someone who loves me!" I shouted at them. As soon as I said it, I knew I was in trouble.  
  
I heard Jun gasp from the door of her bedroom. I risked a glance at her, and I could see she was scared out of her mind. But that was my mistake. When I had glanced away, my father grabbed me and hauled me up so I could look into his eyes.  
  
"Can't help it that you're gay, huh? We'll see about that!"  
  
I didn't struggle at first, figuring if I did, the beating would be worse. He pulled me into my bedroom. "You want to be gay? Fine. We'll see how much you like it."  
  
He slammed the door shut and threw me face-first on the bed. I heard what   
sounded like a struggle outside, but after a couple of loud thuds, it was over. As I turned over, I heard the whisper of his belt sliding through the loops on his slacks. I winced at the thought of the whipping I was about to get.  
  
He held the belt out in front of him and snapped it like he usually did when it was time to be punished like this. Sighing, I stood up and turned around, bending over slightly so he could hit me. And that's when he tackled me. The breath whooshed out of me as his heavier body pressed me hard into the mattress. What the hell?  
  
Dad started tearing at my shorts, trying to pull them off. I was so stunned by what was going on that I didn't fight back at first. But when I felt his erection against my rear end, I struggled hard. But he was bigger, heavier, and stronger than me. And my fear took away what strength I did have.  
  
He finally got my shorts and underwear off me, ripping them in the end. I was now naked from the waist down, just like my father. He grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked, pulling my head up and making me spread my legs a little for balance. He took advantage of it, moving in even closer to me.  
  
"Please, Daddy, don't do this," I whispered, trying not to cry, or make any other sound that might spur him on.  
  
"You're the gay one here, boy. I'm just giving you what you want, like any good father would," he said in my ear. And then everything was pain.  
  
He pounded himself into me again and again, tearing me more each time. I   
screamed and screamed for him to stop, but he wouldn't listen. "This is what you want, right? Why are you screaming? You said you were gay, so this must be what you want."  
  
He came with a groan, finally ending it. I was crying by now, loud and not caring that I was. I =hurt=, and I just wanted it to stop. He got up from me and started to get dressed. "I hope you enjoyed yourself, Daisuke."  
  
All I could do was whimper, trying to find a position that didn't tear me apart. Ken had never hurt me. Not even the first time. Even breathing hurt right now.  
  
He grabbed my hair again, and pulled my face up towards his. He gave me a   
rough kiss on the lips, and then said, "We'll keep having our 'dates' until you decide that you're not gay, okay?"  
  
  
  
I woke with a strangled cry, reliving the "nightmare" from last night. I was tense with fear, my body screaming with pain. Chibimon was pushing against my chest, trying to pull me from the nightmare. As soon as I realized that it was over, just a bad, bad dream, I wrapped my arms around Chibimon and held him tightly.  
  
"Won't it ever end?" I asked aloud. "I just want the pain to stop." And for what seemed like the zillionth time since this nightmare started, I started to cry. "I need you, Ken."  
  
  
To be continued....  



	6. Decisions

The Missing  
Chapter 6 - Decisions  
By eternalsailorsolarwind  
  
Disclaimer: Insert standard disclaimer here.  
  
A/N: As always, all warnings are still in effect. Back to Ken's POV.  
  
  
"I need you, Ken."  
  
I woke with a gasp, sitting straight up, hearing Daisuke's voice echo those words through my mind. The dream had been so real. Daisuke, lying asleep in a cold, sterile room. Having a horrible nightmare, then waking up and calling out for me. But it was all a dream.  
  
Minomon was looking up at me, his blue eyes sad. "Ken, what's wrong?"  
  
"I had a dream about Daisuke. He was calling for me, Minomon," I told him. I sighed. "I just wish they hadn't taken him away from me."  
  
  
Once the police arrived, they had taken our statements, and then called for social services. The social worker had taken one look at Daisuke and told the officers to have Jun taken from the Motomiya apartment. Immediately, if not sooner. And then they whisked him off to the nearest hospital to be treated.   
My mother and I had followed, over the protests of the social worker. But   
Daisuke had yelled at her, and said that he wanted me there. She gave up once she saw the frightened look in his eyes. I think she understood why he wanted me there, at least a little.  
  
I was normalcy. If I was there, maybe his father hadn't actually beaten and raped him. Maybe it was all just a bad dream. We all knew it wasn't, though. Until he left to be examined, I held his hand tightly. He wouldn't-and didn't-want me in there. My mother and I sat silent in the waiting room, waiting. And waiting. And waiting. But the social worker surprised us.  
  
She'd had him taken into protective custody immediately after treatment. We didn't even know he was gone until the social worker came out to tell us.  
  
"He's in a safe place," she assured us. "His sister will meet him there."  
  
I couldn't believe that they had taken him without telling us first. When I asked where Daisuke was, all she would tell me was that he was safe.   
  
"Why can't I know where he is?" I asked, angrily. This wasn't supposed to   
happen! Daisuke was supposed to stay with us! "He's my best friend! And my..."  
  
"He told me," she said gently. I don't know if she approved, but she wasn't going to judge us at least. "And he loves you very much. But its best if he's not in any of his usual places right now."  
  
"Why?" I asked, curiously. "What aren't you telling us?"  
  
"His father wasn't home when the police arrived," she said, hesitating slightly. "Daisuke's mother was talking to him on the phone, and told him what was going on. The detectives expect him to run, given what he told Daisuke."  
  
I thought back to the note that Daisuke had left Jun. It was still in my pocket. I got it out and handed it to the social worker. She read it, looking sad as she did. "I'm going to keep this, Ken. I'll turn it over to the police and they can use it as evidence against the Motomiya's."  
  
I nodded; looking towards the door that Daisuke had gone through earlier. I wanted him back. "When can I see him?"  
  
"I don't know. Next week at the earliest," she said, shrugging.   
  
I looked at her mournfully. She just shook her head. Sighing, my mother and I got up to go. "Ken," the social worker said.  
  
I looked back at her. "Be careful. Mr. Motomiya may hold you responsible for some of this. He may come after you."  
  
My eyes widened. "If he does, I'll kick his ass," I said harshly. "Let's go, Mom."  
  
I stroked Minomon's head. "I hope he's all right."  
  
"Why don't we go and find out?" he asked, grinning up at me.  
  
"How?"  
  
"Well, you can find him using your Digivice, and as Stingmon, I can fly you there," Minomon replied, bouncing up and down.  
  
I thought about it for a second, and then decided to go for it. What was the worst that could happen? So, I got out of bed, put on my jacket, and we snuck out to my balcony. It took less than a minute for Minomon to digivolve to Wormmon and then to Stingmon. I hopped on Stingmon's back, and directed him to the building where Daisuke's signal was.  
  
It took longer to find the correct window than it took to get there. Stingmon finally found the right one, and tapped on it. After a minute or so, Daisuke came warily to the window. His eyes widened as he saw us, and he opened the window quickly. He pulled me in, and Stingmon reverted to Wormmon. He went to Chibimon, who looked just as happy to see him, as Daisuke was to see me.  
  
I held Daisuke for a moment, just being happy that we were together again.   
"How did you find me?" he asked, his voice muffled by my shoulder.  
  
"Used my Digivice," I replied. "I couldn't stay away any longer."  
  
"I'm glad, Ken. I was lonely," he said. He looked up at me, and admitted, embarrassed, "I was scared, too."  
  
I just tightened my hold on him. He was scared. Daisuke was =scared=. Daisuke had never been afraid of anything. Why in the Hell did his father do this to him? My blood was boiling with rage.  
  
"Ken," Daisuke asked hesitantly. "Would you stay the rest of the night? Please?"  
  
He was begging. He was so insecure, so frightened now, that he couldn't just ask me. I hated this change in him. Daisuke was a holder of Courage, for God's sake. This shouldn't be happening.  
  
"I can't stay, Daisuke. I don't think they'd be happy to find me here in the morning." But I did want to stay. I wanted to know he'd be all right.  
  
"I have an alarm clock, Ken. We'll set it so you can be gone before they come get me. They told me what time breakfast was," he wheedled, a spark of the mischievous Daisuke I knew and loved showing in his grin.  
  
I gave in, smiling back. "Oh, all right. Since you asked so nicely. But make sure you set it right."  
  
"Why don't you set it then, Ken," he said, chuckling. "You're the genius, after all." While I did, Daisuke climbed back into the bed, rolling over so he was facing towards me. Chibimon jumped up with him, and he wrapped his arms around his Digimon. When I turned around, I gasped. Daisuke looked just like he had in my dream, except that he was smiling and looked fairly happy. I smiled back at him, and moved to go sit in a chair.  
  
Daisuke's smile faded, "Why are you over there?"  
  
"I don't want to upset you, Daisuke," I began.  
  
He frowned, "I'm not gonna break, Ken. I know you won't hurt me. And I want you over here with me. I'll feel better."  
  
"Okay, if it will make you feel better." I went back to him, crawling over and behind him. Wormmon devolved to Minomon and hopped up with us. It was a tight fit, to say the least. Two boys and two Digimon in a twin bed. Carefully, so as not to make him anxious, I put my arm around him, and snuggled close to him.  
  
He was stiff in my arms for a minute, but then he started to relax. "Thanks, Ken-chan," he said sleepily. "I missed you."  
  
"I know, Dai-chan" I said. But he was already asleep. I listened to him breathe deeply. I ran my fingers gently through his hair, which caused him to murmur happily in his sleep. He rolled back towards me a bit, and I could see that he was smiling. I settled down to go to sleep, but he started to whimper and fret. He was having a nightmare, and I could guess what it was about.  
  
I shook him, and his eyes shot open. He almost hit me before he realized where he was. And who I was. Then he turned away from me, his eyes brimming and ashamed. I touched his shoulder, "It's going to be okay, Daisuke. I'll help you get through this."  
  
"It's =not= going to be okay, Ken! Not for a long time," he said roughly.  
  
"It'll take time, Dai-chan, but you will get through this. I promise," I said consolingly. My words were similar to the ones that he had said to me while I was trying to get past my dark history. I heard him chuckle.  
  
"If you say so, then I believe it," he said softly. His next words were mournful, "I just wish it hadn't happened."  
  
"Me neither," I agreed. "Go back to sleep, Daisuke. Maybe things will look better in the morning."  
  
He was asleep again before I finished my sentence. I was surprised that he'd held out as long as he had. I snuggled back up to him, holding him tightly. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully this time, except for the occasional mutter and murmur. I smiled, happy that he was content.  
  
But I wasn't. All of this was because of his father. His father who had beaten and raped him. Who had dampened the spark of life and courage in my Daisuke-chan. The more I thought about it, the angrier I became. And the angrier I got, the more I wanted to do something to hurt his father.  
  
He deserved to be hurt. He deserved to feel the same fear that Daisuke had felt while being hurt. As my rage grew, I decided on a course of action. There was only one way to deal with a bastard like Mr. Motomiya. And I was going to be the one to take care of him. Now, I just had to lay my plans.... This was going to be interesting. The world can live with one less insect.  
  
  
To be continued....  



	7. Courage

The Missing  
Chapter 7 - Courage   
By: eternalsailorsolarwind  
  
  
Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own 'em.  
  
A/N: All previous warnings are still in effect. Could this possibly be a glimmer of hope?  
  
"I'm bored," I whined to Jun and Chibimon. We were the only ones still here. All the other kids had gone some place else. School, probably. We were stuck here until our father was found and put in jail.  
  
Jun was doing her homework, and scratching Chibimon on the head. "Why don't you do your homework, then?"  
  
"Because I don't know what my homework is. I skipped school yesterday,   
remember?" I told her. I'd get my work tonight. We'd be 'home-schooling' it for awhile.  
  
"Then go read the paper or something. Watch some anime. Play with Chibimon. Take a nap," she said.  
  
"I can't play with Chibimon because I don't know how to explain it if someone sees us, there's no TV, and I'm not tired enough for nap," I replied, ticking those options off one by one. I slept really well once Ken came, though I hadn't told her about that yet. And I doubted that I would. Having Ken come see me was something special to me.  
  
"Then go read the paper! I'm trying to understand this chemistry!" Jun said, annoyed. She looked up from her work. "I know you're bored, Daisuke, but I can't help you right now. When I'm finished, we'll play a board game or something."  
  
"Yeah, since that's all they've got here," I agreed. It was still hard to believe that there were no video games. I relented, "Okay, I'll read the paper. Maybe it'll put me to sleep or something, make time go faster."  
  
Jun chuckled, "Maybe."  
  
So I sat down with the paper and started to read. All the business junk bored me, so I just read about all the crime and exciting stuff. Murders and scandals are much more interesting than how the Japanese stock market is doing. But on page three, I found something that startled me. An article about Jun and me.  
  
I read it three times. How did they know? Who told them about what Dad did to me? "Jun? Have you read the paper yet?"  
  
"No," she replied distractedly. "Not yet. Why?"  
  
"Because we're in it," I looked at my sister, who was now giving me her full, wide-eyed attention. "And they said what Dad did to me."  
  
"Oh, Daisuke," she whispered softly, reaching out and taking my hand. I could feel the tears start to well up in my eyes. =Again=. I was so sick of crying.  
  
I scrubbed at my eyes with the back of a hand. "Everyone knows now. People are going to hate and pity me!"  
  
"No one's going to hate you, Dais," Jun said, getting up and coming around the table. She knelt next to me and hugged me.   
  
"Fine. But I don't want to be pitied, either!" I said, beginning to get upset all over again. "I don't want Ken to pity me."  
  
"He knew, and he didn't pity you, did he?" Jun asked.  
  
"No, he wanted to help me," I agreed slowly.  
  
"I bet your other friends will want to help you too, Daisuke."  
  
It scared me that the others would know. We were all friends, yeah, but this was really deep stuff. None of the others had ever been hurt like this before, let alone by their own parents. Would I still be their friend? Or would I just be hanging on out of pity?  
  
I didn't want that. I wanted to be their friend just like I had been two days ago, before all of this. And thinking like that made me angry. Angry with my father, though, not at the Digidestined. This shouldn't have happened!  
  
"I know it shouldn't have happened," Jun said, startling me. I must have spoken out loud.  
  
I wiggled free of her. "It wasn't =right= that he raped me. I didn't =deserve= it," I said, spitting the words out angrily. I was almost blind with rage right now, and it actually felt good. Like I was being cleansed. The anger was burning everything up.  
  
I stood up. "I'm not going to let him win, Jun."  
  
She looked up at me, "What are you talking about?"  
  
"I'm not going to let him beat me. Damn it, I've saved two worlds. Twice!" I almost shouted. "What makes him think that he can beat us, rape me, and get away with all of this?"  
  
"Daisuke, calm down! I agree with you," Jun soothed. I could feel the burning inside me fading slightly.  
  
I tried to grin at her but it didn't quite make it. I wasn't done being angry yet, "That's a first."  
  
We chuckled, though I could still feel the anger stoked inside me. "You know, I heard somewhere that the best revenge is living well."  
  
Jun nodded, "I've heard that, too. But I've also heard that 'revenge is a dish best served cold'. You have Chibimon. Why don't you take a different type of revenge?"  
  
I shook my head, "I can't do that. That isn't right either. Though I'm tempted, believe me. I doubt I'd have to try hard to persuade Chibimon."  
  
Chibimon shook his head fiercely. No, it wouldn't take much. I smiled at him, reaching out and picking him up. I hugged him, looking at the bump on his head. It was looking a lot better today, and he seemed to be almost back to his old self. "I'll do it, Daisuke! Let me at your parents!"  
  
"No, Chibimon. I can't use you against my parents. It would almost feel like cheating. Besides, I've learned that fighting isn't always going to make things better," I said. "And I don't want you taken away from me either."   
  
"Wow, that's awfully deep, Daisuke," Jun said.  
  
"I know, scary, isn't it?" I smirked. My anger was fading, changing into   
something else. Something more solid and reliable than anger. "I guess Ken has kinda rubbed off on me. It's still true though."  
  
She just nodded.  
  
"Though, if they ever attack me," I said, thoughtfully, "Chibimon can do what he wants. I'll be damned if I ever go through something like that again."  
  
"You're being awfully grown up about this Daisuke," Jun remarked. "It's not like you."  
  
"I'm not the same Daisuke I was two days ago, Jun," I agreed, wearily. I felt fifty years older than I should. "I guess something like this makes you think."  
  
"Probably," she agreed, looking sad. "You look tired. Why don't you go take a nap?"  
  
I felt tired. Getting so angry and then having it just melt away into tired determination took what little stamina I had. So I went back to my cold, impersonal room.   
  
I was serious, though. I'm going to get past this, get on with my life, and get my revenge on my parents that way. I have Chibimon, I have Ken, and I have my friends. I even have my sister. That's pretty much the way my life has been for the last year anyway. I am NOT going to give into all of this pain, sadness, and guilt. I will not. Even if I have to see him in court, face to face, I won't back down. He's not going to beat me. I won't let him; I'm stronger than that. I don't hold the Digimental of Courage for nothing.   
  
I laid down in my Ken-scented bed, and fell asleep, hoping that my sleep would be dreamless.  
  
  
To be continued....  



	8. Return

The Missing  
Chapter 8 - Return  
By: eternalsailorsolarwind  
  
  
Disclaimer: Still not mine, unfortunately.  
  
A/N: All warnings still apply.   
  
I was still seething when I got home early this morning after my visit to Daisuke. I had set the alarm early enough that I'd be home before I was missed. With Daisuke's father on the loose, I had a feeling that my freedom was going to be seriously curbed.  
  
And I was right. At breakfast, my parents started in on a list of new rules that I was to follow until Mr. Motomiya was apprehended. I let them go on for several minutes, before I finally stopped them. I knew they meant well, but this was ridiculous.  
  
"Mom, Dad, I don't need for one of you to take me to the train station and back every day. I have Minomon. He'll protect me," I said, reasonably.  
  
"Daisuke has Chibimon, and look what happened to him," my mother said. I   
winced, ouch. It was a good point though.   
  
"Only because Chibimon wasn't expecting his father to attack him like that. And because he was knocked unconscious," I returned. I felt like a lawyer.  
  
"What about the rest of the abuse?" Dad countered. He =was= a lawyer. He'd be the hardest to argue with, but I thought I could handle it.  
  
"Daisuke told Chibimon that it was normal," I said, shaking my head sadly. That was also true, unfortunately. "So Chibimon didn't try to stop it, even though he didn't like it. Digimon aren't human, they don't know what we consider to be right or wrong unless we tell them."  
  
We ended up haggling about the new rules. I didn't have to be walked to the train station, but I had to take Wormmon everywhere I went. "He can be Minomon at home and at school, but Wormmon can protect you better." I didn't mind that rule.   
  
But my curfew had changed. I now had to be in at dusk, instead of by dinner. Which meant that most days I'd barely have time for soccer practice. I hated that rule most of all. Thankfully, there was no practice today. I was going to Odaiba to meet with the rest of the Digidestined.  
  
I had been getting e-mails from the others all morning, because of the article in the paper. We were going to have a meeting at the park, to discuss Daisuke's predicament, and how we could help solve it. I had a few ideas on that score, though I didn't think I'd be mentioning all of them to the Digidestined. But for now, it was time to leave for school.  
  
  
It was interesting, walking around all day with Wormmon on my shoulder. I got quite a few stares. If anybody got too curious, I passed the whole thing off as a juvenile dare. Wormmon decided against returning to Minomon once we got to school. "You never know," was all he would say.  
  
The day passed at a snail's pace. I was bored through all of my classes. Trying to have something to do, I worked way ahead, hoping inspiration would strike as to what to do about Daisuke's father. So far, I was woefully short of ideas. And that made me angry.   
  
I'm supposed to be a genius, right? So why can't I come up with a plan of action? It's not like Mr. Motomiya is a master criminal or anything. He's hardly a Moriarty to my Sherlock Holmes. The thought of the "great detective", made me stop short. Holmes never waited for his prey to come to him; he went out and looked for them.   
  
I grinned delightedly at this predatory thought. Mr. Motomiya might be looking for me, so why don't I make things easy for him? If he finds me, then I can exact my revenge on the bastard that hurt my Daisuke. Now all I have to do is decide what to do with him once I catch him.  
  
First things first. There's that meeting with the other Digidestined. Perhaps they can help in some small way. A nebulous idea that I can turn into my own, and allow it to grow properly. They may even want in on my revenge. Doubtful, but you never can tell.  
  
Finally, the school day ended and I left, heading towards the train. I got to Odaiba in good time, getting to the park at about the same time as the others. Though Jyou was a few minutes late. But his school got out later, so he had a good enough reason.  
  
I was not surprised to see simmering anger among all of them. I felt it too. Taichi was taking it badly, probably because Daisuke was very much like a younger brother to him. Taichi favored searching out Mr. Motomiya and beating the hell out of him.  
  
"Nobody messes with one of us," he growled, red-faced. "I don't give a damn if he's Daisuke's father or not."  
  
Hikari and Yamato managed to calm him down somewhat, but everyone agreed   
that we should do =something= to help Daisuke. It was decided unanimously to start searching for his father everyday after school. With the Digimon, there was no way we could miss him.  
  
I actually smiled, for what seemed like the first time that day. Things were going finally starting to go right. Ideas were tossed back and forth: should the Digidestined go in pairs, or would one Digidestined and their partner be enough? I listened, making remarks for both ideas. I didn't care one way or the other. I just wanted the asshole found.   
  
In the end, it was decided that it would be too hard to go in pairs. There was no way to guarantee that there would be enough of us every day to do that. That suited me just fine.   
  
The meeting broke up, and we all went home. Jyou walked part way with me. "Is he okay?"  
  
I knew he wasn't talking about Mr. Motomiya. "He's taking it hard. It was bad enough before, but now?" I shook my head sadly. "I think he'll be okay eventually, though. It's just going to take time."  
  
Jyou nodded, looking sad and upset. I couldn't blame him. I felt much the same way. But I was going to do something about it. I wasn't going to let Mr. Motomiya do this to my Daisuke. Jyou and I separated at the station, with a wave.  
  
I spent the train ride mulling my options. What would be the best way to punish Daisuke's father? I knew that I was going to torture him, but how? What techniques would be the best for this? How many should I use? And how long should I torture him? I doubted, however, that me threatening him would hold much terror. There had to be a way to change that, though.  
  
"What are you thinking about, Ken?" Wormmon asked, interrupting my thoughts. I turned my head to look at my Digimon. His eyes were sad; no doubt he was thinking of Chibimon. I smiled at him.   
  
"Just thinking of the best way to get Mr. Motomiya out of circulation. Why?"   
  
"You looked angry and cold, like you used to, when, you know," he replied. I stared at him, wondering what he meant. "When you were the Kaizer."  
  
I blinked, and then slowly started to smile. "Wormmon, you just gave me a   
brilliant idea. I think its time the Kaizer came out of retirement."  
  
  
To be continued....  



	9. Revenge

The Missing  
Chapter 9 - Revenge  
By: eternalsailorsolarwind  
  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine. Sorry.  
  
  
A/N: All warnings still apply. Add to that one for sheer evilness. Still in Ken's point of view.  
  
  
It was extremely easy to lay my plans. I spent the evening transporting back and forth between the Digital World and my bedroom, trying to find the best place to take my revenge. It took me nearly an hour to find the right spot, but once I had, the rest of my plans fell neatly into place.  
  
The location was arid, but not quite desert. There was a Y-shaped tree that would make a perfect crucifix. I also saw what looked like an Antmon hill nearby. I'd have to remember to bring honey beforehand. And best of all, it was fairly secluded. It would take a couple of hours from anyone coming from the outside to get there. Yet, there was a television portal a couple of miles or so away, which would make bringing my captive here extremely easy.  
  
I set my D-3 to open to these coordinates any time that I opened a portal to the Digital World. That way, there would be no fumbling at the moment of capture. It would take the sport out of the whole thing if it wasn't done perfectly. I smiled, pleased with my plans.   
  
There was only one thing missing. The one thing that would truly terrify Mr. Motomiya. Let him know how Daisuke must have felt while he was being raped. But I finally found that missing piece, and managed to get it to the site. It wasn't easy, but I prevailed in the end. The Kaizer always gets what he wants, one way or the other.  
  
Wormmon, surprisingly, only put up a token argument. I think he was still angry about what happened to Chibimon. And I didn't blame him at all. I had always suspected that my Digimon had a soft spot for Chibimon and all his forms. In the end, he agreed to help me. I was grateful, as his assistance would make things so much easier.  
  
The next afternoon, I put my plan into action. It was surprisingly easy to find him, if you knew what Mr. Motomiya was like. Average salaryman, average intelligence, average everything. Add to that his propensity for violence towards his children, and I found him in a rougher part of Odaiba. I didn't see how the police could have missed him. He was less than five miles from home.  
  
"Mr. Motomiya," I said, stepping up behind him. He jumped and whirled around, ready to fight. He was unshaven and unwashed. I wrinkled my nose at the smell. "I think we need to talk."  
  
"Fairy boy!" he bellowed, lunging for me. That was when Stingmon stepped out of hiding and picked him up by the scruff of the neck. All of the fight went out of him instantly. I smirked.  
  
"You know, you're son has always had more courage than you. He'd try to fight Stingmon one on one. Pity that some traits don't breed through," I replied, looking up at him. "By the way, I wouldn't call me that. It makes Stingmon angry."  
  
Stingmon growled, proving my point. Mr. Motomiya paled and fought against   
Stingmon's grip. It was futile, and I told him so. "You know, Stingmon here is a friend of Chibimon's. And he's very upset about what happened to Chibimon the night you raped Daisuke. Perhaps I should let him take care of my revenge for me...?"  
  
He pissed his pants. Right in front of me. I snarled in disgust. "Does a twelve year old boy scare you that much?"  
  
"N-no. I'm not afraid of a twelve-year-old ass-raider," he replied, spitting at me. He missed. "But a fifteen foot tall giant attack bug, =that= I'm afraid of."  
  
"I see," I mused. That was to be expected. "Well, I'll just have to teach you to fear me."  
  
Stingmon and I moved to a slightly more private alley, and I sat my laptop down in a hidden corner. "Did Daisuke ever tell you how we first met?"  
  
"He only mentioned the Digital World," he replied shortly.  
  
"I see," I smiled fondly. "He was protecting me, as always. You see, I was once the Digimon Kaizer, ruler of the Digital World. I was feared that world over."  
  
I watched him as I explained what I had once been. He didn't seem to believe me, so I dug out an old friend. "What do you think of my whip, Mr. Motomiya?" His eyes widened as I snapped the leather cord. "It still seems flexible enough."  
  
I performed a few tricks with it; effortlessly breaking bottles and smashing cans with the little leather flap on the end. By now, he was sweating. I smirked, "I see I haven't lost my touch. Now, let's go."  
  
Before he had the chance to ask where, I opened the portal. We arrived in my desired locale. I was attired, and rightly so, in my trademark Kaizer jumpsuit, glasses, and spiky hair. It suited what I had planned perfectly. Stingmon did not seem at all surprised by the transformation, but Mr. Motomiya looked shocked.  
  
"I had hoped to leave this behind me, Mr. Motomiya, but your treatment of your son," I sighed theatrically, "was enough to resurrect the Digimon Kaizer. I hope you are pleased with yourself."  
  
He was silent, staring straight ahead, pretending to ignore me. I almost expected him to give me his name, rank, and serial number. I felt a spark of irritation only, a sure sign that the spore within me was becoming active again. I shrugged. There would be time enough to recover later, after this bastard had been taken care of.  
  
"Stingmon, please take out guest over to the tree. I think the time has come for his punishment." Stingmon nodded once, and took Mr. Motomiya over to the tree that was large enough to crucify him. The Digimon tied him into a Y-position, and stepped back, crossing his arms intimidatingly.  
  
I sauntered over, coming to stand before my prisoner. I cocked my head at him, "Are you scared yet?"  
  
He let out a string of curses, rather inventive for a man of his averageness. "I am impressed; I don't think I've actually thought of putting it =there= before. But you know, I am honor-bound to give you a way out of this. All you have to do is agree to apologize to Daisuke, turn yourself in, and get a lot of counseling."  
  
I watched him hang silently for a few minutes. "What is your decision?"  
  
He shot me a look of contempt, "I don't think a homosexual =kid= has the guts to hurt an adult."  
  
I nodded coolly, "I thought that might be your answer."  
  
And with that, I started to whip him. Never touching the skin, just using the whip to cut the shirt off of him. By the time the tattered shirt was lying on the parched ground, he was shaking like a leaf in a storm. His skin was pasty and slick with sweat.  
  
"Do you understand now? You do not have the right to beat your children," I lashed him across a shoulder, raising a welt. He winced, startled by the pain. "You do not have the right to rape your son because he is gay, and you want him to be straight."  
  
I cut him across the chest this time, leaving a thin stripe of blood. I tried to relax; I wanted his torture to last for a long time. If I got too worked up, I might kill him, and that would be pointless. I gave him several "light" lashes, none of them breaking the skin, only causing pain. "I am very skilled in the art of torture, you know. We could be at this for days."  
  
He whimpered then, his eyes round and rolling like a scared horse. The rocks rang as I laughed at him. "Oh, this is just the beginning, Mr. Motomiya."  
  
I whipped him again, drawing blood for only the second time. He flinched, tears starting to flow down his cheeks. "Whipping you is only the aperitif. I plan on making this last all the way through the after-dinner brandy and coffee."  
  
I stopped for a moment, twitching the whip at my side. My captive was panting, totally terrified. Perhaps it was time to move on to the appetizer. My whole manner became one of polite conversation. "As you seem to be so =fond= of rape, I thought you might enjoy this."  
  
I gestured off to my right, and my prize lumbered out. A Minotauromon. "This Digimon is a Virus type. He thrives on torture and this kind of thing. Do you think you'd enjoy being raped by him?"  
  
I watched his response. His whole body spasmed, and I thought for a moment he might faint. But he didn't in the end. I was gratified by that. He was stronger than I'd given him credit for. This would be more interesting than I had thought. My face turned angry again, "However, even =I= have my limits. I would never stoop to using that form of torture against a person. You are something even worse than I am."  
  
I raised my whip to strike him again, this time across the cheek. I meant to scar him with this blow, so he never forgot what he did to Daisuke.  
  
"Stop! Don't do it, Ken!"  
  
I turned towards the sound of the voice, and dropped the whip in surprise. It was Daisuke, riding Raidramon. He didn't look at all happy.  
  
  
To be continued....  



	10. Saviour

The Missing  
Chapter 10 - Saviour  
By: eternalsailorsolarwind  
  
  
Disclaimer: Do I still have to do these things? Everybody knows I don't own Digimon.   
  
A/N: Coming to the end. All warnings are still in effect. Back to Daisuke's POV.  
  
Bored, bored, bored. Nothing to do =at all=. I've even finished my homework already. I looked up at the clock for at least the fifth time in the last five minutes. Hey! It's moving backwards! No, wait, it's just not moving. Damn, I'm bored.  
  
But at least all my friends are out of school now. Picking Chibimon up, I head back to my room. Closing the door, I pulled out my D-terminal. I didn't use it yesterday because I wasn't sure of how much privacy I had. But now I know, so I'm going to e-mail everybody and let the guys know I'm still alive.  
  
I send out the general e-mail, and got several replies pretty fast. I was   
disappointed that Ken wasn't one of them. Suddenly I got an e-mail from Iori:  
  
  
"DAISUKE,  
  
GLAD TO KNOW YOU'RE OKAY. UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA   
WHY KEN WOULD BE TAKING YOUR FATHER TO THE DIGITAL WORLD?  
  
  
IORI"  
  
  
I froze as I read that e-mail. Then I shook my head and read it again. And then again for a third time. It was the same every time I read it. Ken was taking my father to the Digital World. Why would he take my father there, especially when he hates him for...holy shit. Oh, my God! My jaw just about hit the ground in shock. I barely noticed the frightened look on Chibimon's face at my reaction.  
  
He wouldn't, would he? Of course he would. I knew Ken was angry with my   
father for raping me. Hell, =I= certainly wasn't happy about it. And in the Digital World, he would have enough power to do something about it.  
  
I quickly e-mailed everyone to meet me in the Digital World. I didn't stop to wait for replies. Instead, I pressed the buttons in a certain pattern, one that Ken had taught me awhile back. He had found that the D-3 could lock on a certain place in the Digital World or even another D-3, if it was set right. Ken had shown me how to lock onto his, so I could always find him when I needed him. And I needed to find him right now.  
  
Grabbing Chibimon, I burst through my door, and sprinted through the common room. Jun, a few kids, and a couple of social workers were in there, reading and talking. I blew past them, heading for the offices, where I knew there were computers.   
  
In the hall, I passed another social worker, who started to chase after me. Come on; come on, where the hell are the computers? I rounded another corner, and saw one, in an office. Putting on a last bit of speed, I rushed through the door. Then I shut and locked it. The body of the social worker slammed into it.  
  
The computer was off, and I growled in frustration while I booted it up. By now, there were several people outside the office, trying to unlock the door. I put a chair under the door handle, and continued to wait, tapping my foot impatiently. Finally, it was up and running.  
  
"Let's go, Chibimon! Digi-port, open!" I cried. The portal opened, and we went through it. Through the dizzying transport sequence that automatically evolved Chibimon to V-mon.   
  
We landed in a desert-like area. There was a slight breeze that stirred some loose sand through the air, making me squint. Pulling out my Digivice, I scanned for Ken's signal. We were only a couple of miles or so away from him.  
  
"Think you're up to an Armor Digivolve, V-mon?" I asked, looking at his head. There was no bruise or bump. The digivolution to V-mon seemed to have cured him.  
  
"You bet, Daisuke!"  
  
"Digimental Up!" I cried, holding out my Digivice. The Digimental of Friendship came out and armored V-mon up.   
  
"Raidramon, the Storm of Friendship!" He stood proudly next to me, chafing to run. I grinned at him, feeling freer than I had in days. I hopped onto his back, ready to settle into my usual seat.  
  
But the pain brought me up short. I gasped with it, laying my face down on Raidramon's cool armor. I hadn't realized that I was still so hurt. It was probably the position I was sitting in. But I wasn't going to stop because of the pain.  
  
"Daisuke!" rumbled Raidramon, worried about me.  
  
"I'm okay, Raidramon," I panted, sitting back up. "It'll go away. Let's go find Ken. And don't hold back for me."  
  
He took off, running at full speed. I clung grimly to him, trying to push the pain out of my mind, but not being totally successful. I could tell Raidramon was worried by my pained silence. Usually, when we go riding like this, I'm yelling at the top of my lungs out of pure joy. But not today.  
  
It doesn't take us very long to reach a rise near where Ken's signal is coming from. Raidramon loped up to the edge, and we looked down. I gasped as I saw my father strung up on a tree. Ken, no the Kaizer, was using his whip on him. He lashed my father several times, cutting the shirt right off him. I was kind of amazed at his skill with that whip. And proud of him too, in a strange, sick kind of way.  
  
Yeah, I was proud of him for having that much skill with a whip. It was strange, sick, and maybe even a little perverted. I was proud that he still had the skill to use that whip so well, even though a large part of me wished he wasn't using it. I suddenly realized I was smiling gently as Ken whipped my father.  
  
I shook my head to clear it. This wasn't like me. Not at all. But I think I knew why I was still sitting up on this ridge, watching my boyfriend whip my father. Ken was taking revenge for what Dad had done. Taking =my= revenge, a little voice inside me whispered. I shushed it quickly.  
  
Oh, I knew I'd go and stop Ken eventually. But with everything that had   
happened to me, could I really be blamed for enjoying my father's pain, even just a little? I knew it was wrong, but a hurt, petty, childish part of me wanted to see my father scream for mercy, just like I had done while he was raping me. So I just sat there on Raidramon's back, watching.  
  
But soon Ken brought Minotauromon out, and I couldn't sit still any longer. I didn't know what Ken had planned, but I had to try to stop this. We started down the ridge, just as Ken cocked his arm back for another swing with the whip. It had to end now.  
  
"Stop! Don't do it, Ken!" I shouted over the noise of Raidramon running down the hill.  
  
He turned, and looked about as surprised as I had ever seen the Kaizer. He dropped the whip, letting it coil next to his leg. Raidramon and I rode up next to him. It was hard to see him like this, all cold and Kaizerish. How could this have happened? He said he never wanted to go back to this. Would I have to fight him for this to end? If so, I didn't think I'd be able to take him in the shape I was in.  
  
I stayed up on Raidramon's back, looking down at him. "Ken."  
  
"Daisuke," he replied calmly. "How are you feeling?"  
  
I felt a rush of relief. If he was still worried about me, even just a little, then he wasn't totally gone yet. "I've been better," I admitted. "But I'm feeling more like myself every day."  
  
He nodded once. "I'm glad, Daisuke." He stepped closer and reached up to take my hand. I held it tightly, smiling down at him.  
  
"Let's cut him down then, and go home. I just want to get past all this."  
  
Ken stepped back, releasing me. "No, Daisuke. Not until I'm done. He needs to be punished."  
  
Uh, oh. I should have known it wasn't going to be that easy. I nodded slowly, "Yes, he does. But let the courts do that, Ken. It's not our job."  
  
"NO! I have to punish him for what he did to you!" Ken shouted, his gloved hands opening and closing into fists. "This bastard does not deserve the easy punishments the courts will dole out."  
  
He bent and picked up his whip again, turning back to my father. Dad's face fell as he saw Ken heading towards him. He had figured that I would be able to stop Ken. I knew it wasn't going to be that easy. The Kaizer had an iron will, and just asking him to stop wouldn't work.  
  
But he wasn't totally the Kaizer yet. I had to stop this before the spore was all the way active again, or we'd be at war again, eventually. And that would tear me apart, because I couldn't follow him. I had to be true to myself, and following the Kaizer was not who I was.  
  
And that's when it hit me. The way to stop this. Just be true to myself. I had come here for the wrong reasons, and that's why I wasn't getting through to Ken. I was doing what I =should= be doing, and not what I =wanted= to do.  
  
"Ken?" I called to his retreating back.   
  
He stopped and turned to face me. "Yes, Daisuke?"  
  
"Could you give me a hand getting down? I'm still kinda sore, and, well...I think I tore something getting up here," I told him, looking down. I was exaggerating slightly, but I =did= hurt.  
  
As I looked back towards him, he pulled down his glasses and looked worriedly at me over them. His eyes were still the luminous blue that I loved so much, and not the iced ocean color of the Kaizer. I sighed in relief. Things weren't as bad as I'd thought. Pushing the glasses back up, Ken hurried back over to me, and Raidramon laid down. Between the two of them, I finally got off Raidramon's back.  
  
I stood facing Ken, and reached up to take off the glasses. I threw them away as I leaned in and kissed him softly. He just stood there for a second, surprised, but then he slowly started to return my kiss, pulling me the rest of the way to him. I sighed happily.  
  
My father's retching noises broke us apart. We turned towards him, and I noticed Ken's eyes turning frosty. This had to end now!  
  
"God, that's disgusting!"  
  
Ken opened his mouth to say something, but I put my arm out, blocking him.   
"You think that's disgusting, Dad? I think it's disgusting that a man would rape his own son, thinking that that would keep him from being gay. Well, you know what =Dad=? It didn't work."  
  
I could see out of the corner of my eye that Ken was totally shocked by what I was saying. But I didn't care; it felt good to yell at my father. "I still love Ken. You didn't stop that. All you managed to do was hurt me a lot."  
  
My father was gaping at me like a fish, his mouth opening and closing. "What'll it take to make you straight, boy?"  
  
"There isn't anything you can do. I was born this way; I can't help it. And you know what? I don't want to change." I was working myself up to a fit, but I loved every minute of it. "So get over it. Disown me, live with it, whatever. I'm gay, I love Ken Ichijouji, and there's nothing you can do about it!"  
  
I stopped, panting with the release of all that anger. But I still wasn't done. "You aren't my father anymore. You gave up that right years ago. Why it took you raping me to get that through my head, I don't have a clue. But once all this is over, I don't ever want to see you again."  
  
The man who fathered me was staring at me with wide eyes. He'd never seen me like this before. I was raging at the years of abuse, the rape, him running from the police, all of it. "I didn't even come here to save you."  
  
Ken started, "What?"  
  
I didn't pay any attention to Ken, still totally focused on Him. "I came here to save Ken from you."  
  
"But, Dai-chan," Ken said, bewildered. "I brought him here. I was never in any danger."  
  
"Yes, you were, Ken. You still are," I replied, turning back to him. I reached out and picked up a corner of the Kaizer's cape. "My...father was turning you back into this. What were you going to do to him?"  
  
His eyes widened, suddenly realizing his danger. "I was going to torture him for hours, maybe even days. I hadn't decided if I was going to kill him or not."  
  
"You see, Ken-chan? He would have won. He would have beaten you, by   
making you the Kaizer again. He would have beaten =us= by making you hate me   
again." I took his hand, holding it tightly. "Don't let him win, Ken. Let's take him back to our world and let the police handle it."  
  
Ken swallowed hard, and nodded. The Kaizer's clothes de-configured into digital dust for the second time in our lives, leaving only my Ken behind. I went limp with relief, and pulled him into a bear hug. "I love you Ken." I whispered into his ear over and over again.  
  
There was a sudden loud noise from the top of the ridge where I had first seen Ken. The two of us separated, and turned towards it. The other Digidestined had arrived. I grinned and waved at them. It was over. Finally over.  
  
  
To be continued....  



	11. Epilogue - Healing

The Missing  
Epilogue - Healing  
By: eternalsailorsolarwind  
  
  
Disclaimer: Still not mine. **sigh**  
  
  
A/N: And so it ends. Time to wrap it up. Expect a little sap mixed in. Back to Ken's POV.  
  
  
Daisuke hurried up the hill I was sitting on, waving at me. I waved back, smiling. It had been a whole week since I'd seen him last, and I missed him terribly. His "temporary" foster parents were not big on trips to Tamachi by himself. So we were only able to see each other on Sundays, when I could get to Odaiba.  
  
We were luckier than we deserved, though. By all rights, his foster parents could refuse to let him see me. They knew that Daisuke was gay, and that he loved me. But considering what had happened to Dais, they weren't being too bad about it.   
  
Daisuke sat down next to me, opening his backpack and letting Chibimon out. Minomon tackled him, and they rolled around together giggling. Our Digimon were now just as much a couple as we were.  
  
I pulled Daisuke to me, and kissed him soundly. He didn't object at all, slipping his tongue into my mouth. "I missed that," I murmured after the kiss ended.  
  
"Me too," he whispered, taking my hand.  
  
We just stared into each other's eyes for a few moments. "How are you doing?" I asked.  
  
"Better. I didn't have any nightmares last night, for the first time."   
  
It had been four months since his father had raped him. Physically, he was fine. But emotionally was another story. He was plagued with nightmares of the rape. He would wake up with phantom pains afterwards, as if he had been raped all over again during his dream.   
  
It broke my heart, because I couldn't be there for him. His foster parents didn't look kindly on my sleeping over.   
  
"That's great!" I was truly thrilled for him. He was making great progress.  
  
"Annnnd," he paused dramatically, grinning at me.  
  
"What?" I asked him. "Don't keep me in suspense, Dai-chan!"  
  
"It looks like Iori's family will get custody of me and Jun," he replied happily.   
  
I was so thrilled; I nearly tackled him when I hugged him. Most of the parents of the Digidestined, mine included, had applied for custody of him and his sister. They thought that it would be best to keep the Motomiya children "in the family," so to speak. Several families were crossed off early for one reason or another. Mr. Ishida worked too much, as did Ms. Takaishi. Plus they were both divorced. My parents were crossed off first because of my relationship with Daisuke. The Hida's and the Izumi's were the last ones in the running. "Really?"  
  
"Yeah," he agreed happily. "It's close, but it looks like they have the edge."  
  
If the Hida's won custody, then things would go back to some semblance of   
normal. And I knew Daisuke craved normal. I just craved seeing Daisuke more often. His foster parents were nice enough, but they just didn't understand.  
  
He leaned closer and kissed me again lovingly. Strangely enough, he didn't hate me for my "near-Kaizer experience", as Daisuke liked to call it. If anything, it had brought us even closer. But he never explained why.  
  
"What's wrong, Ken? You're frowning."  
  
I hesitantly asked him about that day. He listened, his face going serious. "That's simple, Ken-chan. I knew you were doing it for =me=. Not because you wanted to be the Kaizer again, but because you wanted the power and strength to do something to help me."  
  
He said it simply, like I should have realized that already. Maybe I already had, but was afraid he wouldn't understand. He had hated the Kaizer once before, what would have happened if I had reverted all the way? I shuddered and put it out of my mind.  
  
He was leaning against me, the warmth of his body a simple pleasure. My arm was around him, holding him close. Our time together was limited, but we always spent it like this. Sighing, I rested my head on top of his. Once a week just wasn't enough.  
  
"He's dead," Daisuke said neutrally, breaking the silence.  
  
"What?" I said, sitting straight up, looking around wildly. "Who's dead?"  
  
"My father died this morning," he said calmly. I looked at him. His face was straight, betraying no emotion. Even his eyes told me nothing. "Some other prisoners killed him."  
  
"Do you know what happened?" I asked carefully. I'd never seen him like this. He was like a robot of Daisuke.  
  
"No, but I can guess. He was killed in the shower," he snorted in disdain. Even I understood what that meant. In a way, it was ironic.  
  
"How do you feel about it?"  
  
"I don't know, Ken. It's all a jumble," he told me. "I get angry, sad, guilty, and that's just the tip of the iceberg."  
  
My poor Dai-chan. I love him so much. I wish I could help him more, but he says that my loving him is enough.  
  
"But that's actually an improvement," he said, looking at me again. "Before, I couldn't feel =anything= at all when it came to him."  
  
"That means you're starting to heal, Daisuke," I told him, reaching for him. "That's a good thing."  
  
He nodded, letting me pull him even closer. "That's what the therapist said. She says I'm getting better, but I'm not so sure."  
  
"Why do you say that, Daisuke?  
  
"Because when I first found out this morning, about my father being dead, I was =happy=. I was glad he was dead and couldn't hurt me anymore," he said, his voice unsteady.  
  
I rocked him for a moment. "It's normal, Daisuke. It's totally normal. He hurt you and you're glad he's gone. I'm not going to hate you for it. No one will."  
  
He didn't cry. "Thanks, Ken." He sounded relieved.  
  
I needed to do something to break the tension. So I suggested a one on one game of soccer. That could always cheer him up. He chuckled softly.  
  
"I'll run you right into the ground!" he said good-naturedly.   
I was relieved that it worked. "You wish!"  
  
We laughed as we got up. I dug out my ball and threw it to him. He caught it, and bounced it from one knee to the other. "I know I will," he said seriously. And then he stuck out his tongue at me.  
  
I laughed again, and turned to head out towards the fields. We'd played there many times before. He grabbed my arm before I'd gone more than a few steps. I turned back to him, my eyes questioning.  
  
"Thanks, Ken. For everything," he looked away for a moment, and then turned back to me. "I love you, Ken."  
  
Then he kissed me, deeply, passionately, and lovingly. It was a kiss I had not had from him for months. I wrapped my arms tightly around him, holding him close. He was healing. Very slowly, but he was getting better every day, and I was going to make sure that he healed scar-free.  
  
The kiss broke slowly, as we stared into each other's eyes. "Ai Shiteru, Dai-chan. Ai shiteru zutto.*"  
  
"I know," he said, his whole body smiling at me. Then he grinned, "I'm gonna win, you know."   
  
  
The End  
  
* Means "I love you, Dai-chan. I love you forever."  
  



End file.
